In this episode, we go deep on how she now uses creative writing to helps entrepreneurs discover and write the books that live inside of them. You will learn the difference between journaling and creative writing, and the power of the later… And why you should give it a try.

You will find a few tips and tricks to get you started, and discover that you are indeed a writer; even if you think you are not!

On creative writing, owning our stories, finding endings, making room for new experiences, and play…

Whether you believe you are creative or an artist, or not, your mind is unique and beautiful and extremely creative.

We are creating meanings and patterns. We are creative through how we express and live the world. On the page, you can see things you didn’t notice before. And sometimes it is like closing a loop of a difficult story. [01:54]

The difference between journaling and creative writing: While journaling is so personal, creative writing is in essence about “How do I make this understandable to others?”. How can I access my creativity to share this? It is almost like coaching yourself: You externalize yourself and your story, to then teach yourself about your story or what is going on for you. Creative writing allows to use different tools to discover what is hiding in your story. [03:54]

Writing is like putting on a different pairs of glasses. It’s fascinating how easy it is for us to have compassion for something outside of ourselves. [08:30]

Writing a story, we find an end to it. It is a powerful process to take ownership of our personal story, and find an end that we like… And make space for new experiences. Writing, taking a bit of distance, helps us acknowledge what is happening, AND envisioning different possible endings. [14:08]

Writing keeps us curious: Writing about a story over and over again, keeps us in the stage of: “What am I learning, and what is this telling me about myself now?” [19:45]

We love to ask ourselves “Why”, but sometimes it is not the best question. How can we ask other questions, and be playful to enhance our creativity and create mote possibilities in our life? [22:19]

We can collect stories: Seeing our life as a chapter of our book. When we start looking at our scenarios, at our life as stories as we are living them, it becomes more fun. This is a story I am collecting, and I can chose the end. There is power in taking the creative writing from paper, into real life. [25:01]

What if I don’t have stories to tell? If you don’t think it is a story, call it something else! Let’s remove the word “story”. Did you ever answered to the question: “How do you feel right now?” Or “What would you do if you were me in that situation?”… Then you told a story. Keep asking yourself the question “What?”. [30:29]

We connect through our stories. The irony is that we find it so difficult to share what is important for us, and be vulnerable; yet it is healing not only for the person who actually shares, but also for those who listen and can recognize themselves in it and / or connecting through it. We all need to feel we are not alone. Once you get the story out, you can start reshaping it. [35:56]

Alyse view on dedramatizing the act of creating: we are all writers. We are communicating all the time, through different means. Writing is just one of them. We are here to remember what we already have within us; which is a very unique and interesting ability to communicate in different medias.

As kids, we are all artists: dancers, writers, storytellers, painters… Then sometime we start to believe we don’t know how to do it. [41:22]

The thought experiment: the magic of truly listening… Even to yourself. [49:11]

Who is Alyse Speyer

Alyse Speyer started her career in marketing for technology start-ups in San Francisco’s Silicon Valley. After a few experiences of coming close to death, existential crises, and tech burnout, she left tech to pursue her passion for meditation, yoga, and personal development.

She has since spent her days obsessed with breathing, transitions, and learning how to navigate the complex theories and practices of this feeling we call Life. She has coached and taught her blend of yoga & modern life coaching all over the world.

Nowadays she holds the podcast Movement unedited, and is now working as a life coach and writing coach, helping entrepreneurs discover and write the books that live inside of them.